Telomerase activity and expression of human telomerase RNA component and human telomerase reverse transcriptase in lung carcinomas.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of determination of telomerase activity and expression of human telomerase RNA component (hTERC) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) for the diagnosis of lung carcinomas. The tissues studied consisted of 115 carcinomas and adjacent nonneoplastic lung, which were removed surgically without previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Telomerase activity was determined using a semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. The results obtained were classified into high and low telomerase groups. Localization of expression was examined by using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The correlation between telomerase activity in lung carcinoma and clinicopathologic features, including prognosis, was investigated. Telomerase activity in lung carcinomas was detected in 107 of 115 (93%) lung carcinomas, but not in any adjacent noncancerous tissues, and was significantly higher in small cell carcinoma than in any other histologic type. This activity also was significantly higher in poorly differentiated than in well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. The overall survival rate (P =.020) was significantly lower in the high telomerase group. Messenger RNAs for hTERC and hTERT were mainly detected in the cytoplasm of cancer cells by in situ hybridization, and TERT protein was localized in the nuclei of these cells by immunohistochemical staining. Determinations of telomerase activity by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and TRAP assay are useful for evaluating the diagnosis and prognosis of lung carcinomas.